To change your cursor on a Mac, open System Settings > Accessibility > Display and go to Pointer. Drag Pointer size to make the cursor bigger, and set Pointer outline color and Pointer fill color to change its color. Reset Colors puts it back to white and black. Apple’s settings change size and color, not the cursor’s shape.
Every Apple step below comes from Apple’s Mac User Guide, checked 14 October 2026. Apple documents the same Pointer options for macOS Ventura 13, Sonoma 14, Sequoia 15, Tahoe 26 and macOS 27.
| What you want | Where to do it | Built in? |
|---|---|---|
| A bigger cursor | Pointer size slider | Yes |
| A different cursor color | Pointer outline color and Pointer fill color | Yes |
| Find a lost cursor fast | Shake mouse pointer to locate | Yes |
| A different cursor shape or design | A third-party utility | No |
| A different cursor in a screen recording only | A screen recorder that draws the cursor itself | No |
How to make the cursor bigger on Mac
- Choose Apple menu > System Settings.
- Click Accessibility in the sidebar, then click Display. You may need to scroll down.
- Under Pointer, drag the Pointer size slider until the cursor is easy to see.
The new size applies at once, in every app. Drag the slider back to the left end to return to the normal size.
While you are there, look at Shake mouse pointer to locate. With it on, the pointer grows for a moment when you quickly move the mouse or your finger on the trackpad, which helps when you lose it on a large display. Apple’s Pointers in macOS guide notes you can turn it off if you prefer.
On macOS Monterey 12, the same controls are in System Preferences > Accessibility > Display > Pointer.
Source: Apple’s Make the pointer easier to see on Mac, checked 14 October 2026 for macOS 12, 13, 14, 15, 26 and 27.
How to change the cursor color on Mac
The Mac cursor has two colors: a white outline and a black fill. You can change both.
- Open System Settings > Accessibility > Display.
- Under Pointer, click the color well next to Pointer outline color and pick a color for the edge.
- Click the color well next to Pointer fill color and pick a color for the inside.
- To go back to the default, click Reset Colors. Apple says this restores the white outline and black fill.
A strong outline is usually what makes a cursor easy to spot. A bright outline around a dark fill stands out on both light and dark windows. If you mostly work in dark mode, a light fill with a dark outline can be easier to follow than the default.
Can you use a custom cursor on a Mac?
Not with Apple’s settings. Apple’s guide Pointers in macOS lists the shapes macOS uses on its own, such as the arrow, the I-beam for text, the pointing hand for links and the wait cursor. It names size and color as the things you can change. There is no setting to replace those shapes with your own artwork.
There are three ways people get a custom cursor anyway:
- A system-wide cursor utility. These apps replace the macOS cursors for every app. One free example is Mousecape, an open-source cursor manager on GitHub. Its README says it uses private CoreGraphics interfaces and installs a helper tool that applies your cursor at login. Its latest release is version 1813, from June 2020, and its code was last changed in July 2024 (GitHub, checked 14 October 2026). Software that hooks into the system cursor and hasn’t had a release in years can stop working after a macOS update, so try it on your version of macOS and make sure you know how to remove it.
- A browser extension. Cursor extensions change the pointer only inside web pages in that browser. Your cursor in the Finder and in other apps stays the same.
- A screen recorder that draws its own cursor. If the reason you want a different cursor is a video, you may not need to change your Mac’s cursor at all. More on that below.
Changing the cursor for a screen recording
Built-in screen recording on a Mac uses the Screenshot toolbar (press Shift-Command-5). Apple’s guide says its Options menu lets you choose whether the recording shows the mouse pointer or clicks. With Show Mouse Pointer checked, the recording includes the pointer. Apple doesn’t say whether it keeps a larger size or a custom color, so record a five-second test first:
- Set Pointer size and the pointer colors in System Settings.
- Record five seconds with Shift-Command-5 and play it back from wherever it saved to check the pointer.
- Change the settings back afterwards if you prefer the normal cursor for everyday work.
If you want no cursor in the video, uncheck Show Mouse Pointer in Options before you start. Source: Apple’s Take screenshots or screen recordings on Mac, checked 14 October 2026.
The limit is that the cursor is part of the picture. Once the recording is made, its size and color are fixed. If it turns out too small to follow on a phone, you record again.
Change the cursor after you record, in CursorClip
CursorClip is a Mac screen recorder for tutorials, course lessons and product demos. It leaves the system pointer out of the screen capture and saves where the cursor went and when you clicked as separate data. It then draws the cursor itself, in the editor and in the export. So you can change how the cursor looks after you record, save that cursor style as a Look for your next video, and your Mac’s own cursor stays exactly as it is.
In the editor’s cursor settings in CursorClip 2.0.4, you can:
- Pick a cursor style. macOS, Windows, Rounded, Classic ‘95, Bold, Pixel, Breeze, Touch and Laser, plus two seasonal sets, Jack-o’-lantern and Peppermint. Rounded comes in dark, light and amber. Windows, Classic ‘95 and Pixel come in light and dark, and so does Breeze. Touch replaces the arrow with a dot in Halo, Amber, White, Blue or High Contrast.
- Change the size with a Scale slider from 0.50x to 2.00x, with a Reset button.
- Hide the pointer but keep click ripples, so viewers still see where you clicked. Or turn off Cursor & click effects to remove both.
- Turn click feedback on or off: Cursor Press, which slightly squeezes the cursor while you hold a click, and Click Ripple, which marks the exact spot.
- Smooth shaky movement with Pointer smoothing, which is on by default, with Responsive, Balanced or Steady response and optional pointer blur.
Two things to know before you choose it. CursorClip changes the cursor only inside videos you record with CursorClip, and only on a Mac with macOS 13.5 or later. For the cursor you see all day, use System Settings. And CursorClip 2.0.4 does not import your own cursor image: you choose from the styles above.
Free to record and edit. A license to export.
Cursor settings that read well on video
What looks fine on your own display is often hard to follow in a video, because viewers watch it smaller than you recorded it. A few habits help, whichever recorder you use:
- Go a step bigger than you use day to day. Many viewers watch tutorials on a laptop or a phone, where a normal-size cursor shrinks to a speck. Make it a little larger for the recording, then compare a short test clip on a small screen.
- Pick colors that stand out from your background. A black arrow disappears on a dark editor theme. A light fill or a bright outline keeps it visible on both light and dark windows.
- Move slowly and stop on what you’re talking about. Point, pause, then click. Viewers follow a still cursor much more easily than one that circles while you talk.
- Think about Shake mouse pointer to locate. It may enlarge the pointer mid-recording. Turn it off if you move fast.
- Show the click. A cursor that jumps to a new screen with no sign of a click leaves viewers guessing. Apple says the Screenshot toolbar’s Options can show clicks, and many screen recorders add a click effect.
For the rest of the setup, including window size and notifications, see our guide to making tutorial videos on Mac. If small text is the real problem, a recorder with automatic zoom brings the part you click closer (to magnify your own screen instead, see zooming in and out on Mac).
FAQ
How do I make my mouse pointer bigger on a Mac?
Choose Apple menu > System Settings, click Accessibility in the sidebar, then click Display. Under Pointer, drag the Pointer size slider until the pointer is the size you want. The change applies straight away, everywhere on your Mac. Apple documents the same steps for macOS Ventura 13 through macOS 27.
Can I change the cursor shape on a Mac?
Not in System Settings. Apple’s Pointer settings offer size, outline color, fill color and Shake mouse pointer to locate, but no option to swap the arrow for another design. Changing the shape system-wide needs a third-party utility, and browser extensions only change the cursor inside web pages.
How do I change the cursor color back to normal on a Mac?
Open System Settings > Accessibility > Display and click Reset Colors under Pointer. Apple says this restores the default white outline and black fill. On macOS Monterey 12, the button is called Reset, in System Preferences > Accessibility > Display > Pointer.
Does a bigger cursor show up in screen recordings?
For the built-in Screenshot toolbar (Shift-Command-5), Apple doesn’t say, so record a five-second test after changing Pointer size. CursorClip works differently: it leaves the system pointer out of the capture and draws its own from recorded cursor data, so you set the size in its editor, from 0.5x to 2x, and your System Settings pointer does not change the video.
Can I hide the cursor in a screen recording?
Yes. In the Screenshot toolbar, open Options and uncheck Show Mouse Pointer before you record. In CursorClip you can decide after recording: Hide pointer removes the pointer but keeps click ripples, and turning off Cursor & click effects removes both.
Is CursorClip free?
CursorClip is free to record and edit, with no account. A license is needed to export, and one license covers up to 3 Macs. Current prices are on the pricing page.
Make the cursor easy to follow
For everyday use, System Settings is all you need: a bigger pointer and a stronger outline take a minute. If you make tutorials or demos and want to choose the cursor after you record, try CursorClip on your next video.
Sources and dates
All checked 14 October 2026.
- Apple, Make the pointer easier to see on Mac (Mac User Guide, versions for macOS 12, 13, 14, 15, 26 and 27): Pointer size, outline and fill colors, Reset Colors, Shake mouse pointer to locate.
- Apple, Pointers in macOS (Mac User Guide): the pointer shapes macOS uses, and that size and color are the settings you can change.
- Apple, Take screenshots or screen recordings on Mac (Mac User Guide): Shift-Command-5, Options, Show Mouse Pointer.
- Mousecape on GitHub (alexzielenski/Mousecape): README, latest release 1813 (June 2020), last commit July 2024.
- CursorClip 2.0.4 (build 40): cursor styles and colors, Scale 0.50x to 2.00x, Hide pointer, Cursor Press, Click Ripple and Pointer smoothing, as named in the app’s editor.
Related reading
- How to make tutorial videos on Mac: plan, set up, record and export a tutorial
- Mac screen recorder auto zoom: how automatic zoom keeps small UI readable
- How to screen record on Mac: every built-in way, step by step
- How to record yourself on a Mac: your screen and your face in one take